Steve stood petrified behind Kingsley. The tunnel leading back to the entrance was blocked. Down the tunnel, obscured by shadows, was a writhing wall of limbs, torsos, worst of all, human faces. The adrenaline pumping through Steve’s blood was no match for the icy hand of dread that clutched his chest.

“What. The. Fuck.” Steve murmured. Kingsley stood in somber silence as he watched the amalgamation of flesh inch closer.

“PIMP is gonna have some explaining to do,” Kingsley said calmly. “This is way more than four dead hikers,” Steve could hear despair in the giant's voice.

“There must’ve been some cover-up, there’s no way this many people went missing without anyone noticing,” Jun said bitterly. Jun was right. Every single one of the people in the wriggling mass wore normal, albeit tattered clothes.

“Seattle HQ is known for being totally incompetent, so this makes perfect sense,” Kingsley grumbled back.

“Guys,” Jun pointed behind the group toward the tunnel to the final cave, face full of horror. Steve slowly turned around. A hundred yards behind them stood a lone human figure. Something’s wrong. The figure’s arms were bent at odd angles, and Steve couldn’t make out a face, even though he should’ve been able to. It looked to be obscured by a knobby gray mass with tendrils that ran down the gray body. It wore tattered women’s clothes and carried a short staff in one bent hand. The creature exuded an aura of dread that made Steve's skin crawl.

“That’s a fucking sinthral alright,” Kingsley swore. “Thing must’ve used a mage as a host and killed Jerome. Probably used [Pressure Missile]. FUCK,” The man swore again. Steve shivered. The creature exuded a field of corrupted mana that made his skin crawl. “Be careful, that thing can use its host’s skills,” Kingsley warned. The three remaining functional members of the party inched their way backward to the center of the large cavern. Meanwhile, the sinthral stumbled toward them.

“Inspect,” Kingsley muttered. His already statuesque face stiffened as he read over the invisible text box before his eyes.

“What level?” Jun asked fearfully.

“Top of level 8,” Kingsley replied with no emotion. A sort of sob escaped Jun’s mouth. We are so dead. Steve never imagined he would ever think those words outside of a video game. Steve didn’t know exactly what a sinthral was, but he knew that it would prove a challenge for even the lower-level slayers.

Left without a choice, Steve pulled out his trump card. He didn’t even know if he could get his technique to work, but it was all he had. In his hand was a black Glock-19. It was heavier than it looked, but the weight was reassuring. Steve clicked the mag release and held the magazine in his hand. Mustering every last bit of concentration he could, he began to pour mana into the object. If he couldn’t get [Aura 1] to work, they were probably hopeless. Blue sparks flew from his clenched fist and stung his skin. Jun looked over at Steve with a new hope in his eyes. With no way to tell if he succeeded, Steve stopped and loaded the gun.

“Are you a good shot?” Kingsley asked. It seemed like the man had an idea.

“No,” Steve replied as he handed the gun to Kingsley with the barrel down.

“Our only shot is for you two to break the gate crystal and destabilize this place. I’ll try to buy you time,” Kingsley said as he softly put the mumbling Kayla on the ground. She was reduced to an infantile state as she quivered and mumbled to herself. The two young men nodded and waited for Kingsley.

“NOW!” Jun and Steve both broke into a sprint. The two took opposite routes around the cave to divert the sinthral’s attention. Kingsley closed half the distance between him and the sinthral. He fired three bullets into the sinthral’s abdomen. Much to Steve’s relief, he saw blue trails fly from the gun.

The creature twitched violently in reaction to the bullets but was otherwise unfazed. Steve knew Kingsley was remarkable for landing three consecutive shots with a Glock from that range. Kingsley peppered the sinthral with the rest of the magazine in a series of echoing cracks that hurt Steve’s ears. Steve broke through and got behind the sinthral’s cone of vision right as Kingsley tackled the monster. Jun and Steve’s paths converged and they sprinted side by side into the tunnel towards the final cavern.

Steve felt so incredibly light. The blessing from Lesley enhanced his poor physical endurance quite a bit, and Kingsley’s buff added another 15%. His feet pounded against the jagged ground and ate up the distance. The dim green glow of the lichen on the ceiling provided enough illumination for the two to run through the tunnel. They quickly reached the final room and Steve’s heart sank. Three gray creatures were crouched around the entrance to the cavern.

Steve could make out the remains of several corpses littered about the room. Tattered clothes hung from the gray skin of the thrall. Their skin was covered in bloody lesions that oozed black liquid. None of the gray creatures had eyes, only soulless black pits where eyes once sat. Steve spotted something fifty yards away, at the back of the cavern. It was a brilliant glowing white crystal embedded into the jagged wall.

The thrall pounced before Jun and Steve could exchange any words. One lunged towards Steve while the other two ganged up on Jun. Steve hoped Jun’s higher level and experience would triumph over the monsters. Steve froze up with terror as the creature lunged on top of him and shoved him to the ground. Pain welled up in his back as he landed on a jagged bed of stone. Steve struggled to inflate his lungs as the wind was knocked out of him. The putrid stench of rotting flesh filled his nose as he covered his face with his arms. The former human clawed at him with dull nails that left red trails across his forearms.

Steve heard the wheeze of its damaged vocal cords as it tried to scream but couldn’t. I have to get back on my feet, Steve thought in a panic. The creature was malnourished and scrawny. It couldn’t have been more than 140 pounds, but it made up for it in ferocity. Steve’s arms and chest burned intensely as they were covered with scratches and blood. Small chunks of his flesh were missing. If I don’t fucking move, I DIE! Steve mustered his strength and shoved the creature with all his might. Thanks to Kingsley and his blessing the creature was tossed backward several feet. It hissed in annoyance as its prey fought back. Steve quickly felt around along the cave floor for a loose rock. After finding a fist-sized stone, he sprung to his feet. Steve’s heart pounded in overdrive, his hands and knees shaking. It was do or die.

Steve bolted at the thrall with newfound zeal. The gap was closed in a fraction of a second as both humanoids dashed toward each other. However, this time Steve didn’t freeze up. Steve positioned the rock in his hand to where the jagged edge was opposite his thumb. Then he swung his arm in a horizontal arc like a bat. The jagged point of the rock connected with the gray creature’s rotting skull with a gut-wrenching crack. Fresh blood sprayed through the air, following the arc of his strike. The impact knocked the thrall down onto its knees, but it was still alive. Don’t look. Don’t look. It’s not a person anymore.

500 milliseconds of hesitation was all the creature needed. It sprung up and shot forward with inhuman dexterity. Its decaying teeth sunk into Steve’s shoulder with primal strength.

“Aah!” Steve cried out mostly in surprise. All pain was a distant tickle to Steve right now. Steve punched, swung, kneed, and flailed at the creature as it locked onto him in vain. None of his strikes could generate any power from his compromised position. The pain was beginning to grow louder. He could hear the creature gurgling hisses as his blood filled its mouth. The desire to live, combined with inspiration from his circumstances formed a sick idea.

Steve roared and bucked his neck down as he suck his teeth into the thrall’s exposed neck. He retracted his tongue before biting down as hard as he could. Despite his efforts, the most vile taste imaginable filled his mouth. It was the combination of roadkill on a hot day, and the musk of a dirty teenager, multiplied ten times. Then threw his head back as he kicked with his legs. The rotting flesh separated from the tendons and ligaments much easier than he expected. Much to his relief, the creature let go as its wheezing grew labored. You fuckers aren’t dead, you still need to breathe. Steve spat out the vile, kiwi-sized hunk of flesh. It landed on the ground with a wet squelch. Both his arms, and now his chest was covered in warm blood.

Stolen novel; please report.

The thrall’s jaw was no longer locked onto Steve, but they were still tangled in each other. It squirmed in pain from his depraved attack like a worm. Steve firmly grabbed its emaciated shoulders and slammed his forehead into its nose. The fleshy cartilage and bone stood no chance against the solid bone of his forehead. He felt the fleshy protrusion crunch under his forehead. The gray creature stumbled backward in a daze. Finally, Steve took the initiative. Taking a deep breath, Steve grabbed his pointy rock with both hands and lifted it over his head.

“Fuck you,” He muttered as he brought the rock down on the stumbling creature's head. Another crunch. The creature’s head absorbed the entire blow. It slumped to the ground, twitched, then went limp. Viscous black liquid oozed from the deep dent in the creature’s head.

Steve’s victory was short-lived as he glanced over to see Jun being overwhelmed. The young man was lying on the ground as the two thralls ravished him with their fingernails and teeth. All Jun could do was weakly protect his face with his arms. He was a bloodier mess than Steve. Thick crimson fluid coated Jun’s entire front side. He must’ve exhausted all his mana earlier. Fuck. Steve shakily jogged toward the two monsters.

“Jun, I’m coming--,” Steve fell forward and violently twisted his ankle with a crack. Or so he thought. Steve looked behind him to see the rotting hand of the thrall he had just felled clinging to his ankle. “No fucking way,” He muttered in horror. He heard its pitiful wheezing as it clung to his ankle. It was still alive despite having a softball-sized dent in its cranium. Steve’s ankle throbbed painfully. The creature slowly pulled its way forward while snapping its teeth together. He peeled its fingers off his ankle and got onto one knee, letting it get closer.

It was alive, but only barely. It wasn’t able to make any sudden movements. Vomit boiled in Steve’s stomach as he gathered the strength to do what he had to do. He placed his hands on the creature’s temples and squeezed his fingers into its flesh. Then he lifted the creature as high as he could by its head, lifting its chest off the ground, and brought it down on the rocks below. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Finally, after the sixth time, the creature stopped wheezing. Its face was horribly caved in, with black viscous liquid oozing everywhere. Steve vomited everything in his stomach uncontrollably. The bile burned his throat as the contents of his stomach splashed onto the rock below.

You have killed [Sinthral Minion Lv. 2] +23 XP

Steve glanced in Jun’s direction in horror. The young man wasn’t resisting anymore. He could hear the thralls snarl, wheeze, and gurgle in Jun’s blood. Without thinking, Steve fumbled around the ground until he found his bloodied rock. He threw it and hit the left thrall in the back. Bored of Jun, it jerked its head at Steve. Two dark empty sockets bore into Steve like black holes. It had no eyes, yet it could see perfectly well.

Steve spat out a ball of bile and phlegm. He tried to stand up, but his left ankle couldn’t support his weight at all. The pain was a distant echo, but his body still wouldn’t let him stand on his broken ankle. The other creature finally looked up from Jun’s lifeless body. The two thralls leaped at Steve in near unison, covering the 20 feet in a matter of seconds. What do I do? What do I do? What can I do? He lost his blood, he lost the use of his ankle, he lost the contents of his stomach, and he didn’t have very much strength left. But the one resource he still had was mana.

The faster thrall went for Steve’s legs. All he could do was kick and flail his one good leg as it bit into his thigh. Steve groaned in pain. Fighting back with his legs wasn’t going to do anything. He bent his legs as far as he could until his heels were almost touching his rear. He had to protect his femoral artery from the thrall. One nick and he was dead. The second gray creature slashed at his arms and chest. I’m going to die at this rate.

Steve did the only thing he could think of. He grappled with the thrall attacking his chest until he was able to restrain its arms with his elbows. He wormed his hands and firmly gripped its bald, pockmarked head. Steve mustered all the mana he could, circulating it to his hands. Blue flecks popped and flickered out of his hands as mana began to pool. His fingernails began to glow blue. Not yet. The thrall at his legs was ruthless, but he didn’t let the pain distract him. He needed more water before he let the dam break. More. Steve began to feel the surface of his skin burn intensely. The blue sparks began to crackle instead of pop. More. Blood began to drip from his nose as he strained his mana circuits. Now.

Steve let the dam break. 800 MP poured from his hands directly into the thrall’s head. With nothing to insulate the creature, it absorbed the energy. A thunderclap erupted from Steve’s hands. Blue particles flew in all directions in a blinding blue blast. The creature’s gray head disappeared into a black mess of goo that flew in all directions. Chunks of hard and soft remains rained down and covered a 30-foot radius.

You have unlocked [Mana Injection]!

You have killed [Sinthral Minion Lv. 2] +26 XP

The headless body of the thrall slumped off of Steve like a rag doll. The creature attacking his legs looked up in surprise. Once again, Steve hurriedly fumbled around for his trusty jagged rock. Relief filled him as the rough object filled his hand.

“You’re next, fucker,” Steve growled. Steve’s arms were covered in deep red, geometric burns. His arms felt vaguely hot, but otherwise numb. Probably nerve damage. Christ, mana is dangerous. His cheek also felt raw and hot. The metallic smell of blood hung heavy in the air. The lone thrall lunged toward Steve’s face but he knew it was coming. Mustering what strength he had left, he smacked it in the temple with his rock. It stumbled to the side and wheezed pitifully. Without missing a beat, Steve brought the rock down in a perfect vertical arc onto the back of its head with a crack. He crawled on top of it before pressing his knee into the center of its back.

Steve’s blood soaked through its tattered clothes immediately. He gathered the last of his mana into his hands. The thrall sensed the energy and thrashed beneath him pitifully. It was all in vain. Steve’s entire weight was behind his knee, and he weighed significantly more than the emaciated gray creature. The mana violently flowed out of his hands with a rapid crack. This one had much less energy behind it, but it was enough. The thrall ceased its struggling. The back of its head was cracked open in an X shape like a watermelon. Steve wretched, but he had nothing left to throw up.

You have killed [Sinthral Minion Lv. 2] +22 XP

A level up is available

Steve crawled on his hands and knees over to Jun’s limp body. He wasn’t in a good state. He lay in a pool of his own blood. Vicious claw marks covered every inch of him, tearing through even his clothes. Bite marks covered his neck and hands.

“No… buddy… no,” Steve didn’t know what to say. Steve checked Jun’s pulse on his wrist, but it was too faint to tell. He barely knew the guy, but he felt incredibly bad for him. He brought his ear to Jun’s nose and heard the softest whistle of air. Steve sighed in relief. Jun was still alive, if only barely. He looked to the back of the cave. There, the crystal glimmered brilliantly, a pure white. He almost felt guilty, letting the pure thing witness such carnage before it.

Steve groaned. He felt cold and weak. Both his arms and legs shook violently, even as he crawled. The fifty yards might as well have been 20 miles. With each movement of his body, blood dripped onto the rocky ground. All his limbs felt like they were lead. With the adrenaline wearing off, the pain came back in waves. His ankle was badly broken, he had a huge gash on his shoulder where the thrall bit him, and he was covered with deep scratches. Stay alive, Jun, Kingsley.

It was all up to Steve now. He had to get the crystal and close the gate for the sake of his party members, and all the people the sinthral had captured. Left right, knee knee. That was his new mantra. Left hand, right hand, then he slid his knees over the jagged ground. He didn’t have the strength to lift them. He barely felt the skin of his knees being rubbed away over the cacophony of more intense pain.

Steve stared into the brilliant crystal. It was mesmerizing as It sent rainbows dancing all over the cavern wall. He could sense a concentration of power hidden within the gem. It felt disgraceful to tarnish the object of pure beauty with his bloody hands. But he had no choice. With great effort, Steve pried the crystal out of the cavern wall. The moment the crystal left the wall he knew something was going to happen. It was like someone had turned off the lights, except everything stayed the same brightness. The feeling was uncanny.

Steve crawled his way back to Jun’s unconscious body, crystal in hand. Call me naive, Steve thought to himself. He snaked his hand under Jun’s collar and began to drag him along the floor of the cave. Crystal in one hand, Jun in the other. After a dozen minutes, he was back at the entrance to the large cavern.

“Holy shit, there are survivors,” A voice said. Steve had never once been so happy to hear those words in his life.